System and method for customized message delivery

Abstract

A message distribution technique permits individual subscribers to receive text messages from a broadcaster. The broadcaster uploads a text message to a central processing service where it may be redirected to a chat room associated with the broadcaster. In addition, a push notification is sent to all subscribers of a particular broadcaster to indicate the delivery of a text message from the broadcaster. The push notification may also contain a link that, when activated by the subscriber, initiates an associated software application program that navigates the subscriber directly to the chat room to view the text message. The text message may be generated and uploaded by the broadcaster without having to activate the software application. The push notification may also be received by subscribers without having to activate the software program. In one embodiment, the broadcaster can limit distribution of the video based on a geographic restriction.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 generating a text message using a broadcaster wireless communication device; 
 uploading the text message from the broadcaster wireless communication device to a predetermined telephone number; 
 redirecting the text message from the predetermined telephone number to the server by uploading the text message to the server; 
 the server retrieving a subscriber list associated with the broadcaster, the subscriber list containing a mobile telephone number associated with a mobile communication device of each respective one of the plurality of subscribers; and 
 the server pushing a notification message to a touch sensitive display of the respective mobile communication device of each subscriber on the subscriber list to indicate the availability of the text message from the broadcaster, wherein the notification message is an interactive notification message that, when a predetermined portion of the touch sensitive display is activated by any of the plurality of subscribers on the subscriber list, causes the respective communication device of the subscriber to automatically navigate, without further user input, to the broadcaster chat room to view the text message. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the text message is directed to the predetermined telephone number using a native text messaging feature of the broadcaster communication device. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the server redirects the text message to a chat room associated with the broadcaster. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  wherein the notification message includes a link to permit the communication device of any of the plurality of subscribers on the subscriber list to be directed to the broadcaster chat room to view the text message. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein the broadcaster chat room accepts comments and replies from the subscriber communication device, the comments and replies being available for viewing by any of the plurality of subscribers. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3  wherein the notification message comprises the text message. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the notification message is an interactive notification message that, when activated by any of the plurality of subscribers on the subscriber list, activates a software application program that causes the communication device of the subscriber to automatically navigate, without further user input, to the broadcaster chat room to view the text message. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein the subscriber list includes geographic data related to each of a plurality of subscribers on the subscriber list;
 the server applying a geographic filter function to the subscriber list to generate a geographically filtered subscriber list; and 
 pushing the notification message only to subscribers on the geographically filtered subscriber list to indicate the availability of the text message from the broadcaster. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein the broadcaster selects a geographic region and uploads data to the server to indicate the selected geographic region selection wherein the server applies the geographic filter function to the subscriber list based on the uploaded data indicating the selected geographic region selection to generate the geographically filtered subscriber list. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein the server generates the geographically filtered subscriber list such that subscribers within a predetermined distance of the geographic region are included in the filtered subscriber list. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising the server receiving location information from a communication device of each of the plurality of subscribers wherein the geographic data related to subscribers on the subscriber list comprises the received location information for each subscriber, the server using the received location information to apply the geographic filter function to the subscriber list. 
     
     
       12. A system for data distribution comprising:
 a telephone receiver having a predetermined telephone number and configured to receive a text message uploaded from a broadcaster wireless communication device to the predetermined telephone number; 
 a server coupled to the wide-area network and configured to receive the text message redirected from the telephone receiver having the predetermined telephone number to the server; 
 a data storage structure containing a subscriber list associated with the broadcaster, the subscription list including a mobile telephone number associated with a mobile communication device of each respective one of a plurality of subscribers on the subscriber list; 
 wherein the server is configured to retrieve the subscriber list associated with the broadcaster from whom the text message was received; and 
 the server being configured to push a notification message to a touch sensitive display of the respective mobile communication device of each subscriber on the subscriber list to indicate the availability of the text message from the broadcaster, wherein the notification message includes an interactive link on the touch sensitive display that, when activated by a user, causes the respective communication device of the user to automatically navigate, without further user input, to the broadcaster chat room to view the text message. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12  wherein the text message is directed to the predetermined telephone number using a native text messaging feature of the broadcaster communication device. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12  wherein the server redirects the text message to a chat room associated with the broadcaster. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 12  wherein the notification message is an interactive notification message that, when activated by any of the plurality of subscribers on the subscriber list, activates a software application program that causes the communication device of that subscriber to automatically navigate, without further user input, to the broadcaster chat room to view the text message. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15  wherein the broadcaster chat room accepts comments and replies from the subscriber communication device, the comments and replies being available for viewing by any of the plurality of subscribers. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 12  wherein the notification message comprises the generated text message. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17  wherein the notification message is an interactive notification message that, when activated by any of the plurality of subscribers on the subscriber list, permits the communication device of the subscriber to be directed to the broadcaster chat room to view the text message. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 12  wherein the subscriber list includes geographic data related to each of a plurality of subscribers on the subscriber list;
 the server being further configured to apply a geographic filter function to the subscriber list to generate a geographically filtered subscriber list; and 
 the server pushing the notification message comprises pushing the notification message only to subscribers on the geographically filtered subscriber list to indicate the availability of the text message from the broadcaster. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19  wherein the broadcaster selects a geographic region and uploads data to the server to indicate the selected geographic region selection wherein the server is configured to apply the geographic filter function to the subscriber list based on the uploaded data indicating the selected geographic region selection to generate the geographically filtered subscriber list. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 20  wherein the server generates the geographically filtered subscriber list such that subscribers within a predetermined distance of the geographic region are included in the filtered subscriber list. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 19  wherein the server is further configured to receive location information from a communication device of each of the plurality of subscribers wherein the geographic data related to subscribers on the subscriber list comprises the received location information for each subscriber, the server using the received location information to apply the geographic filter function to the subscriber list.